There was a surprise in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper as the British-trained Cue Card ended the Irish stranglehold on the National Hunt Flat Race.
Swinging into the straight it was clear that there would not be an Irish winner but it remained to be seen which of the home team would prevail.
Al Ferof had made much of the running under Ruby Walsh and was still travelling well rounding the home turn but Cue Card was cantering under Joe Tizzard and when he was allowed to go the 40-1 shot bounded clear.
He increased his lead with every stride to record an eighth length victory for father Colin Tizzard. Long-time leader Al Ferof was second with John Kiely's Frawley the best-placed of the Irish runners in third.
"We haven't had very many bumper horses, but no-one expected to win like that," the winning trainer said.
"He pulled too hard and I thought he'd stop, but he's obviously a very good horse.
"He looked like a four-year-old in the paddock, he was smaller than the rest and I was a bit negative before the race.
"He's always done everything so easily - he's such an easy horse to train - and nothing has gone wrong since the day we broke him in.
"If he was trained by Willie Mullins he'd have been third of fourth favourite.
"He absolutely sluiced up on his debut and he has done again, just against better horses."
His son added: "He's done it very well and we knew he was a lovely horse. "People kept saying four-year-olds don't win the bumper, and you start to get doubts in your mind.
"But I was confident in him and he's travelled particularly well.
"The plan wasn't to hit the front quite as soon as we did, but he had plenty left and he's just proved what we always thought.
"There should be plenty to come as that was only his second time on a racecourse, so it's very exciting."